The Timelost: Web Of Time
by Tim66
Summary: When Vince is plagued by nightmares of his interrogation by Torchwood, he and Sally travel back in time to 1902 to seek answers.
1. Nightmares And Ice Cream

DISCLAIMER: The character of Vince Hawkins belongs to Terrence Dicks. The character of Sally Sparrow belongs to Steven Moffat. The character of Anne Travers belongs to Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story touches on events from the Lethbridge-Stewart novel, _Beast Of Fang Rock_ , which was written by Andy Frankham-Allen. This story also includes a brief scene from the television episode, Horror Of Fang Rock, which was written by Terrence Dicks. Since this story is a follow-up to my previous Timelost story, you might want to read that one before you start this one.

DEDICATION: Once again, Emily Carter, this one's for you. 

**LONDON, PRESENT TIME...**

 _"Who is the Doctor?" one of the dark figures shouts._

 _"Where is the Doctor now?" adds another one._

 _"What do you know about the Doctor?" a third figure asked._

 _There is no escape, no relief, the questions go on and on..._

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Shouting incoherently, Vince Hawkins sat up in his bed. For a moment, he didn't know where he was, before reality thankfully set in. He was here, safe, in the London apartment that he shared with his girlfriend, Sally Sparrow. Slowly, he reached over and snapped on the lamp on his bedside table. The old, wind-up clock (that Vince preferred, considering that he was used to such clocks), showed that it was two in the morning. _Well, I can forget about going back to sleep for now,_ Vince thought as he got out of bed and threw on a robe. He slowly looked around his bedroom. Like the clock, a lot of the furniture was from the early 1900's, all from antique shops that he and Sally had scoured. Vince had adjusted well to the 21st Century in the few months that he had been living in it, however, he did like to have some items that came from his lost past, such as the furniture. _Still, not much help to me now,_ Vince thought as he left the bedroom and stepped out into the hall. He saw that the door to Sally's bedroom, next to his, was closed, so he assumed that his shouting hadn't woken her up. Quietly as he could, Vince headed to the kitchen. Only one thing can help me now, he thought.

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Soon Vince was in the kitchen and indulging in one of his new favourite 21st Century passions, chocolate ice cream. He had just prepared a second bowl for himself, when Sally appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Oh, Sally, I hope my shouting didn't wake you up," Vince said.

"No, but your moving around in here did," Sally replied as she joined Vince at the table. "Was it another one of those nightmares?"

"Yes, it was," Vince said. "And it was the same. Me, in some dark room, being questioned by strange people about the Doctor."

"And you still think it was that Torchwood lot in Southampton. The ones that put you into suspended animation?"

"Yes, it does fit what LINDA has been able to uncover about them," Vince said.

"Which isn't much," Sally replied. "They seemed very good at covering their tracks. In fact, we can't find any evidence that Torchwood even exists anymore."

"But the did exist in 1902, when they went to Fang Rock and got me," Vince said, shuddering. "Of course, they did save my life, but I get the feeling that my best interests were not their number one priority. In the nightmare, they keep grilling me about the Doctor."

"Well, from what we've been able to find out, they were ordered to keep an eye out for him. And you were a living witness to one of his adventures here on Earth, Vince. No doubt they wanted to find out all they could about that adventure."

"Still, they could have been a bit kinder about it," Vince said. "Granted, I only met him that one time, but from what you and Professor Travers have told me, the Doctor is one of the good guys. And we both know that there are a lot of bad things out there." Vince's mind went back to what Professor Anne Travers, a retired scientist, had told him and Sally, a few months ago. Vince and Sally had been visiting the Fang Rock lighthouse, now privately owned by a company called Haunted Tours Of Britain, where they had met Anne, who happened to be the great-niece of Ben Travers, the head lighthouse keeper, and Vince's boss, in 1902. Vince still had trouble wrapping his mind around Anne's bizarre connection to Fang Rock. _Best not to dwell on that too much,_ he thought. Anne had been part of a 1969 investigation into the mysteries of Fang Rock, and had apparently learned quite a bit from said investigation. Anne had said that an alien, called a Rutan, had been responsible for the deaths at the Fang Rock lighthouse, in 1902. Among the abilities of the Rutan was the power of shape-shifting. It had been the Rutan, in the form of senior assistant lighthouse keeper, Reuben Whormby, who had attacked Vince that final night. _Well, at least I know that Reuben didn't do it,_ Vince thought. _Still, poor Reuben was blamed for what happened at Fang Rock all the same._ That such a kind and gentle man could be blamed for such crimes irked Vince to no end, but those were thoughts for another time.

"Yes, but clearly there are, or were, other people who didn't feel that way about the Doctor," Sally said. "Torchwood, at least that branch of it, was made up of those people. Since they didn't know how to find the Doctor, they must have thought that you knew something about him."

"But I didn't," Vince said. "At the time, I didn't even know that the Doctor was an alien. I just thought he was some kind of eccentric chap who had found his way to Fang Rock. Then, with everything going on, I didn't give the matter much thought. And then..." Vince then fell silent.

"Then what?" Sally asked.

"I just wish I could get a better picture of what happened to me at Torchwood. Try as I might, I can't remember much about it. It's only in the nightmares that I get a picture of what happened, and even that is fuzzy," Vince said. "Perhaps if I could get to the bottom of all that, these nightmares will finally stop."

"There might be a way," Sally said.

"What?" Vince asked.

"I said that there might be a way for you, for us, or find out what did happen to you in 1902," Sally replied.

"How?" Vince asked. "We have no time machine, and we don't know how to contact the Doctor." Vince happened to know that LINDA had been trying for years to find the Doctor again, but with no luck. It was hard to find someone who was constantly on the move, both in time and space, and could change their physical appearance as well.

"No, but remember what Professor Travers told us," Sally said. "She has access to alien technology that has been collected from various aliens who have attacked Earth. She might have a way to help us."

"Well, then let's call her in the morning," Vince said, smiling. And maybe then I'll be able to get a decent nights sleep at last.

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOO**

It was early the next afternoon, when Professor Anne Travers came by Vince and Sally's apartment, in response to their call. "I believe I can help you, Vince," Anne said, once Vince and Sally had finished relating their stories to her. The three of them sat in the living room, sipping glasses of Diet Pepsi.

"You mean you have a way of showing me how I can find out what happened in 1902?" Vince asked.

"Yes, but I have to advise you, Vince, that it might be risky," Anne warned.

"I'm willing to take that risk," Vince said. "When can we start?"

"Well, it will take me a few days to get things set up," Anne said. "And we'll have to do it where it all started."

"You mean the Fang Rock lighthouse?" Sally asked.

"Yes, the Fang Rock lighthouse," Anne replied.

"Why there?" Vince asked.

"It's hard to explain. Just trust me."

"What about Haunted Tours Of Britain? What will they think of this?" Sally asked.

"You just leave all that to me," Anne said as she got to her feet. "When everything is ready, I'll give you two and call and tell you to come to the lighthouse."

"Okay, Anne, we'll wait," Vince said. "It will be nice to finally get some answers."


	2. Fang Rock Revisted

**ISLAND OF FANG ROCK, SEVERAL DAYS LATER...**

"Back at the lighthouse again," Vince said as he and Sally walked up to the lighthouse. Anne Travers had called them that morning, instructing the couple to come to the lighthouse. Vince and Sally had wasted no time in making their way to Fang Rock. Once they reached the door to the lighthouse, Sally had spotted the sign that said CLOSED UNTIL NEXT WEEK. "I wonder how that happened?" she asked.

"Oh, just all expenses paid vacation to the Bahamas for the owners of Haunted Tours Of Britain," Anne replied as she appeared in the lighthouse doorway.

 _She may be officially retired, but clearly she still has friends in the right places,_ Sally thought.

"Well, here we are," Vince said. "What's next?"

"Follow me to the crew room. Everything is ready," Anne replied.

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOO**

When Vince and Sally reached the crew room, both were astonished at what they saw. What appeared to a web like substance was hooked up to a crystal machine. Parts of the web were wrapped around what appeared to be a log book of some kind. The web seemed to pulse with an eerie light. "What... What is that?" Vince asked as Anne came into the room.

"That, Vince, is your ticket back into the past," Anne replied. "Nearly fifty years ago, in this very room, I used it to send two men into the past, during the 1969 investigation here."

"You did?" Sally asked.

"Yes, it was a risk that had to be taken. We needed vital information," Anne said. "However, I've had decades of time to study this, and learn from it, so it should be safer this time."

"But what is it?" Vince asked.

"Well, this, came from the Rutan," Anne said as she pointed to the crystal machine. "Rather, they nicked it from the Sontarans, long story." Anne then pointed to the web like substance. "And this came from the Great Intelligence."

"Didn't you tell us that this "Great Intelligence" once tried to attack Earth?" Vince asked.

"Yes, until the Doctor stopped it," Anne replied. "However, the web, by itself, is not dangerous in the right hands. It's a tool, and can be put to good use, such as now." She pointed to the log book. "That's the lighthouse log book from 1902, at the time of the Rutan's attack. I needed it to have a focal point."

"A focal point?" Sally asked.

"Something that existed in 1902 and exists now, to link the two time periods. Luckily, Haunted Tours Of Britain had the original log book."

"I guess it was part of the tour package, to get the feel of things as they were in 1902," Sally said.

"Yes, I had assumed the same thing."

"And the log book is what you'll be using then," Vince said.

"That, and one other thing," Anne said.

"What other thing?" Vince asked.

"You, of course," Anne replied. "You were also here in 1902."

"Yeah, I was," Vince said with a smile. "So this contraption you've assembled will send us into the past?"

"Yes, combined, the web and Rutan device will send you both back to 1902, but in astral form only," Anne said.

"What does that mean?" Vince asked.

"It means that only your minds will be sent into the past. Your bodies will remain here," Anne explained. "In the past, you two will be able to interact with each other, but no one in 1902 will be able to see or hear you."

"I see, kind of like what happened to Ebenezer Scrooge in _A Christmas Carol_ ," Vince said. "When he went travelling in time with those three ghosts, no one in any of the times they visited could see or hear them."

"Yes, that's it, Vince," Anne replied. "Scrooge could only observe, not interact. Well, it will be the same for you and Sally. You'll be able to get the information you need, without any risk of altering the time line." She gestured to a nearby couch. "Have a seat, both of you."

Once Vince and Sally were seated on the couch, Anne connected some wires to the web, and then, connected the other ends of the wires to two headbands, that she then placed on Vince and Sally. "This won't hurt, will it." Vince said.

"No, it won't," Anne said. "When I switch on, it will be like going to sleep for you two."

"How do we get back," Sally asked.

 _I was going to ask that question myself,_ Vince thought.

"Just will yourselves back when the time comes," Anne said as she moved to the crystal machine. "Are you two ready?"

"I guess we're as ready as we'll ever be," Vince said as he glanced at Sally. Both of them embraced hands.

"Right, good luck, you two," Anne said and switched on the device. As she watched, both Vince and Sally's eyes closed as they slumped back onto the couch. While their bodies remained here in the present, Anne knew that their minds were now more than a century in the past. _I hope you find what you're looking for, Vince,_ Anne thought.


	3. A Brief Encounter

**FANG ROCK ISLAND, 1902...**

Vince found himself standing on the rocks, near the lighthouse. Looking around, he saw Sally standing beside him. It was the wee hours of dawn. "We made it."

"Seems like it," Sally replied. "This is amazing."

"I couldn't agree more," Vince said. "At least we can see each other. Anne was right when she said we could interact." He slowly began to lead Sally towards the lighthouse, but both stopped when they came to what appeared to be a blue box.

"It's the TARDIS," Sally said. "The vehicle the Doctor travels in."

"So the Doctor is still here? Does that mean we're..." Vince broke off as he heard voice approaching. As he and Sally watched, the Doctor and his Companion, Leela, appeared out of the darkness.

 _Looks like Anne was right about no one here being able to see or hear us,_ Sally thought. Although she and Vince appeared to be standing in plain sight, neither the Doctor nor Leela acknowledged their presence.

"Pigmentation dispersal caused by the flash," the Doctor was saying. "Your eyes have changed colour. You can stop blinking now. Let's go."

"What colour are they?" Leela asked.

"Blue," the Doctor replied, and then began to recite. "Aye, though we hunted high and low, and hunted everywhere."

"What?" Leela asked.

"The Ballad of Flannan Isle, by Wilfred Gibson," the Doctor replied.

"Who?"

"Wilfred Gibson," the Doctor repeated. "Aye, though we hunted high and low, and hunted everywhere, of the three men's fate we found no trace. In any time, in any place." As the Doctor continued to recite the poem, both he and Leela entered the TARDIS, closing the door behind them. Soon a wheezing, groaning, noise was heard, and the TARDIS dematerialized, taking the Doctor and Leela to their next adventure.

"That is way cool," Sally said.

"I know you've told me about this, but to actually see it," Vince said slowly.

"Yeah, I felt that way the first time I saw it," Sally replied, and then continued. "Well, since we just saw the Doctor and his Companion leave, that means we're right where, or perhaps I should say, when, we want to be."

"I guess we are," Vince said as he looked at the lighthouse, dreading what they would find within. _Too late to turn back now,_ he thought as he and Sally headed for the lighthouse.


	4. And Everywhere We Looked Was Death

As they entered the lighthouse, Sally noticed how tense Vince was looking. _Well, I can't blame him, considering what happened here. I hope he's prepared for this._

 _Here we go,_ Vince thought as he led Sally forward into the boiler room. On the floor in front of them lay a body.

"Who's that?" Sally asked.

"William Harker. He was one of the people that came in on Lord Palmerdale's ship," Vince replied. He looked over to a shrouded wrapped body in the corner. "That's Ben."

"Anne's great uncle," Sally said slowly.

"Yeah," Vince said and then he moved towards the room where the coal was kept. He entered, and saw the body of Reuben Whormby lying there.

"Is that..." Sally began, as she came into the room behind Vince.

"Yeah, it's Reuben," Vince replied sadly.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. I mean, for you, this is all so recent."

"No, Sally, I have to see this through," Vince replied. "Anne went through all that trouble for me, I can't back out now. I'll be fine. Still..."

"Yes?"

"Can I have a moment alone here?" Vince asked.

"Sure, take all the time you need," Sally said and withdrew back into the boiler room.

 _Well, Reuben, here we are,_ Vince thought. _Bad enough you died here, but then they go and blame you for all the deaths that happened here, when that Rutan thing was the actual murderer._ Vince's anger came flooding back as he remembered reading the book that LINDA had given him, _Horrors Of Fang Rock_ , in which he first learned about Reuben being blamed for the deaths. Vince had been incensed and wanted to set the record straight. However, he realized that it would be hard to do, since no one, outside of LINDA and Anne Travers, would believe about where he came from. The investigation that Anne Travers had been involved in, back in 1969, had revealed the truth about the Rutan. However, the results of that investigation were still classified top secret, and could not be revealed to the public at large. _I swear to you, Reuben, that one day, I'll find a way to clear your name,_ Vince vowed in his mind. _No matter how long it takes, I will make sure the truth finally comes out._

 **OOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Sally was still in the boiler room, when Vince came out of the coal storage room. "Are you okay, Vince?"

"I've been better, Sally," Vince replied. "However, I'm ready to go on now." The two of them made their way up the stairs and soon were standing by the crew room door. In the crew room were the bodies of a man and a woman. "Lord Palmerdale and his secretary," Vince said grimly. Nearby, on the stairs, was a third body. "Colonel Skinsale," Vince said.

"So that's everyone then," Sally said.

"Almost," Vince said and led the way up the stairs. Soon they came to the remains of what looked like a giant jellyfish. "The Rutan, I presume," Vince said.

"Looks like it exploded somehow," Sally replied. "I suspect the Doctor and his Companion had a hand in this."

"Yeah, I guess that's what happened. Of course, I missed that part," Vince said.

 _Yeah, because you were in that coma, and thought dead, when the final confrontation with the Rutan happened,_ Sally thought.

"Come on, Sally, not far to the lamp room now."


	5. The Lamp Room

The lamp room was a total shambles, with a big, gaping hole in the wall, taking up nearly one side of it. Sally approached the hole and stared out of it. Although she was safe from accidentally falling to the rocks below, she wasn't physically here, after all, she still got a sense of vertigo. "Anne told us that the Rutan mother ship was blown up. No doubt the Doctor did it from here, although how he did it, I have no idea."

"It must have made quite a noise," Vince said, shaking his head. "Still not enough to wake me from that coma. And speaking of which..." Vince looked down and saw himself lying on the floor. "Lucky that explosion didn't finish what the Rutan started."

Sally came over and looked down at the 1902 Vince. _Yes, I can see why some would assume he was dead. He's barely breathing._

"You know, Sally, sometimes I wonder."

"What about?" Sally asked.

"Why I lived," Vince replied. "How come the Rutan didn't manage to kill me. It killed all the others here, after all."

"I honestly don't have an answer for you, Vince," Sally said. "Good luck? Random chance? God? Take your pick. However, there is one thing that I do know."

"Which is?"

"That if you had died here, I would not have met you, Vince," Sally said. "And I can't imagine my life without you. I thought I would never find love again after Larry died, but your survival prove me wrong."

"And I feel the same way, Sally," Vince replied as he came over and took Sally's hands in his. "When I woke up in your time, I had lost everything. Without you, I don't think I would have made it," he paused for a couple of seconds. "Perhaps we'll never know why I survived, but all that matters is that I did. And that allowed us to find each other."

"Yes, Vince, it did," Sally replied and the two of them shared a kiss. _If there is a God, I have to thank him for bringing this wonderful man into my life,_ Sally thought.

"Well, what now?" Vince asked after a few moments. "The sun will be coming up before very long."

"Now we wait, and see what happens," Sally replied. _Somehow, I get the feeling that we won't be waiting long. she thought._


	6. Torchwood Arrives

It was about an hour later, the sun was just coming up, when Sally, who had been looking out of the hole in the side wall of the lamp room, spotted the rowboat approaching the island. "Vince, I think this might be it."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Vince said as he joined Sally at the hole and watched as the rowboat approached. In the rowboat were four people, two men and two women. Soon, one of the men jumped out and pulled the rowboat ashore. Once that was done, the other three quickly joined the man on land, and the four of them turned and came towards the lighthouse.

 _And here we go,_ Sally thought as she heard the voices coming up the stairs. Soon, the two men entered the lamp room and stood there, looking around.

"Sure is a mess up here, isn't it, Frank," the first man said.

"Yes, Bill, but this seems to confirm that an alien incursion did take place here at Fang Rock," Frank replied. "Let's take a look around." The two men began to poke around the lamp room, and soon they found the 1902 Vince. "Bill, here's another one."

"Let me see," Bill said and knelt down to examine Vince. "Frank, this one is still alive!"

"You sure?"

"Yes, Frank, I am. I am a trained physician, after all."

 _So that's how they figured out that I was alive,_ Vince thought as he and Sally continued to watch the events unfold.

Frank had gone to the top of the stairs and shouted: "Kate! Maggie! Up here! We found a live one!"

Soon the two women had arrived in the lamp room. "You found one alive, where?" Kate asked.

"Right here," Bill replied as he continued to examine Vince. "He seems to be in a coma, but he's still with us."

"This must be Vincent Hawkins," Kate said as she consulted some notes she had in her hands. "The junior assistant lighthouse keeper."

 _Nice that they know who I am,_ Vince thought sarcastically.

"That means he might be able to tell us what happened here," Maggie said. "If he can be woken up, that is."

"He can, but not from here," Bill said. "We need to get him back to base."

"Well, we better get cracking," Frank said. "I imagine the local authorities will be here before long, and they mustn't see us. Give me a hand, Bill." The two men then lifted Vince up and carried him out of the lamp room, with Kate and Maggie following behind.

"Come on, Sally," Vince said. "As that detective chap always says, the game is afoot!"

"I'm right behind you, Vince."


	7. The Interrogation

Although they were unaware of it, the four members of Torchwood Southampton had two stowaways on their rowboat as they returned to Southampton. Once they had reached the city, they quickly spirited Vince to their hidden base, beneath Southampton. _This place looks a lot cleaner than the last time I saw it,_ Sally thought. _Of course, it hasn't been empty for more than a century._ She and Vince watched as Torchwood Southampton laid the 1902 Vince on an examination table.

"You think you can bring him out of this coma, Bill?" Maggie asked.

"Yes, this medicine that we recovered from that crashed space ship on Dartmoor should do the trick," Bill said as he injected Vince with a syringe. The four members of Torchwood Southampton then stood back and waited.

With a moan, the 1902 Vince opened his eyes and sat up. "What's going on? Where am I?" he asked.

 _I know how he, or perhaps I should say, I feels,_ the present day Vince thought, remembering the same disorientation when he had woken up, in this very same hidden base, in 2017, and encountered LINDA for the first time.

"Greetings, Mr, Hawkins," Frank said. "It is Vincent Hawkins, right?"

"Yes, but I prefer Vince," Vince replied.

"As you wish. Anyway, we need to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."

"Uh, no, I don't," Vince said uneasily. "Who are you lot? The police?"

"Not exactly, Mr. Hawkins," Frank replied. "Let's just say that we represent a group that has the best interests of the British Empire at hand. Please, have a seat." Frank gestured to a nearby chair, and Vince went and sat in it.

 _This is starting to look familiar,_ the present day Vince thought.

"First of all, let me introduce myself, I'm Francis Rowan," Frank said and gestured to the others. "The other gentleman here is William Checkley, and the two ladies are Katherine Collyer and Margaret Kennedy."

"Pleased to meet you all," Vince said. "Now, how can I help you?"

"We just need some answers as to what happened at Fang Rock, Mr. Hawkins," Bill said. "Please start at the beginning."

"Well, it started out normally enough," Vince began. "This strange object fell out of the sky, into the sea near the island. After that, this fog came up, although no fog was forecast for that night. Then Ben Travers, our head keeper, died under mysterious circumstances. At the same time, this Doctor fellow turned up and..."

"Doctor!?" Kate said suddenly. "Did you say the Doctor!?"

"Yes," Vince said. :"There was this bloke, who called himself the Doctor. He came to Fang Rock with a young woman and..."

"The woman, was her name Rose Tyler?" Maggie asked.

"No, her name was Leela," Vince said, starting to sound a little scared. "Why? Who's Rose Tyler?"

"Just give us a few moments, Mr. Hawkins," Frank said as he and the others moved away, out of Vince's earshot.

"Come on," Sally said to present day Vince. "Let's listen in." The two of them moved over to where Torchwood Southampton were gathered and whispering to themselves.

"Well, what do you think?" Frank asked his colleagues. "Do you think this "Doctor" that he mentioned is the same fellow that Queen Victoria originally set up Torchwood to keep an eye out for?"

"I don't know. He did tell us that this Doctor had a different female companion than the Rose Tyler who is mentioned in our files. The one whom Queen Victoria met," Kate said.

"That means nothing," Maggie replied. "It's been over twenty years since Queen Victoria encountered the Doctor. A lot could have happened in that time."

"Yes, but there is still much we don't know," Bill said. "We can't take any chances. I recommend truth serum."

"But that's so risky," Kate said.

"I know that, Kate," Frank said. "However, if the Doctor is involved with what happened at Fang Rock, we _have_ to know." He turned to Bill. "Go ahead."

"Right," Bill said and headed for a nearby table, full of medical equipment, while the other three went back over to Vince.

"Is there a problem?" Vince asked.

"Oh no, Mr. Hawkins, everything is fine," Frank said.

 _Liar,_ present day Vince thought. _You lot are scared of the Doctor, not that any of you would ever admit it, of course._

At that point, Bill had returned with another syringe. "Now, this won't hurt a bit," he said as he injected Vince with the truth serum. In a moment, Vince's face went slack and his eyes glazed over.

"No wonder your memory of this is so fuzzy," Sally said to present day Vince. "They injected you with drugs."

"Yeah, that answers that question," present day Vince replied.

"Right, let's test this, shall we," Frank said and turned to Vince. "What is your name?"

"Vincent Hawkins," the drugged Vince replied.

"Your date of birth?" Frank asked.

"October 28th, 1877."

"Names of your parents?"

"William and Elizabeth," Vince said in slurred voice.

"Who is the Doctor?" Frank asked.

"I don't know. He and his lady friend just turned up at Fang Rock."

"How did he get there?"

"He told us that they had gotten lost in the fog," Vince slurred. "He said that their boat was moored on the other side of the island."

"So, you never saw this boat."

"No."

"What caused the deaths at Fang Rock?" Bill asked.

"I don't know. Perhaps the Beast is real," Vince said.

"Beast?"

"Yes, the Beast Of Fang Rock," Vince slurred and went on to tell them about the legendary Beast Of Fang Rock.

 _I guess that was all my mind could come up with,_ present day Vince thought.

"Superstitious rubbish!" Bill said, once Vince had finished.

"Maybe not," Kate said. "I grew up around here, and some weird stuff did happen on Fang Rock, back in the early 1820's. Apparently, two men died and a third went mad. No one knows why, but that is how the stories of the Beast got started.

"And?" Bill said.

"Well, something had to start all those stories," Kate replied. "Perhaps it's connected to what has happened at Fang Rock now. Mind you, this is just conjecture at this point."

Meanwhile, Frank continued to grill the drugged Vince. "Who is the Doctor?"

"I don't know," Vince mumbled.

"Where is the Doctor now?" Frank asked.

"I don't know."

"What do you know about the Doctor?" Maggie asked.

"Nothing."


	8. Into The Cooler

"This is futile," Frank said. "Are you sure you gave him the correct dose of the truth serum, Bill?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Bill replied.

"I don't think he does know anything more than what he's telling us," Kate said.

"Yes, clearly the Doctor didn't reveal much to Mr. Hawkins here about anything," Maggie said.

"So now what?" Bill asked. "Do we let Mr. Hawkins go?"

"After what he's seen," Frank said. "No way."

"Well, then what?" Kate asked. "Surely, you're not suggesting that we kill him."

"No, nothing so drastic," Frank replied. "Since it is most likely to be assumed that Vince Hawkins perished at Fang Rock, I suggest that we place him in suspended animation until we can further assess the situation, or a new lead on the Doctor turns up."

"And then?" Kate asked.

"And then we'll determine the fate of Vince Hawkins, once and for all."

"Well, Frank, it's a bit harsh, but I'm on board with this idea," Bill said. Both Kate and Maggie agreed as well.

"Right, let's put Mr. Hawkins here in the cooler," Frank said.

"Right, I got that stuff we got off those aliens, back in '98," Bill replied.

As present day Vince and Sally watched, Bill gave 1902 Vince another injection, which put him into suspended animation.

"And here I go to sleep for more than a century," present day Vince said.

"Yes, strange to see it happening ourselves," Sally replied.

They watched as 1902 Vince was carried into the next room, which had a wall full of drawers. Frank and Bill placed 1902 Vince into one of those drawers and sealed it. After which Kate and Maggie then placed a label on it, which read:

V. HAWKINS  
FANG ROCK LIGHTHOUSE  
AUGUST 26th, 1902

"Shall we notify Torchwood One about this?" Kate asked.

"And tell them what?" Frank replied. "That we heard about a visit from someone that may, or may not, have been the Doctor we were told about. No, we'll keep this one to ourselves for now."

"But..."

"Look, if a positive lead on the Doctor does turn up, then we'll tell Torchwood One," Frank said in a reassuring voice. "Trust me, Kate."

"Very well," Kate replied.

"And this is where we found you, or will find you, in 2017," Sally said to Vince. She gestured to the members of Torchwood Southampton. "A year from now, this lot gets wiped out in that 'Scaroth Incident', whatever that was. They never got the chance to tell anyone else about you."

"And so here I stayed for the next one hundred and fifteen years," Vince said and turned to Sally. "I think I've seen enough. Let's get the hell out of here."

"I couldn't agree more," Sally replied and the two of them faded away.


	9. Back To The Future

**FANG ROCK LIGHTHOUSE, PRESENT DAY...**

As Anne watched, Vince and Sally opened their eyes and removed their headbands. "Well, how did it go?" she asked.

"We saw what we needed to see," Vince said. "I have my answers."

"Now maybe you won't have those nightmares anymore," Sally said.

"I hope not."

"I take it that your encounter with Torchwood Southampton wasn't pleasant," Anne said.

"Well, they didn't really harm me," Vince said. "Seems they were more interested in what I knew about the Doctor, which wasn't much to begin with."

"Yes, that sounds about right."

"Have you ever encountered a branch of Torchwood, Anne?" Sally asked.

"No, but I have had brushes with other organizations who are just as questionable," Anne said. "I really can't say anything more. Believe me, you two will be a lot safer not knowing."

"I believe you," Vince said slowly as he and Sally got to their feet. "Thank you for helping us."

"You're welcome, Vince," Anne said. "Always glad to help a friend in need."


	10. Unexpected Surprise

**LONDON, TWO WEEKS LATER...**

Vince and Sally were sharing some chocolate ice cream, in their apartment. "So, Vince, any nightmares lately?" Sally asked.

"Not a one," Vince replied, smiling. "I guess that trip back to the past helped me lay those demons to rest once and for all."

"I'm glad," Sally said.

"So, Sally, what do you want to do tonight? Go out for a nice meal, or should we just stay in?"

"Well, I was thinking..." Sally began, but then a knock sounded on their apartment door. "I wonder who that could be." Sally said as she went and answered the door. To her, and Vince's astonishment, Anne Travers was standing there. "Anne!" Sally said. "This is a surprise."

"Sorry, I didn't call first," Anne said as she came into the apartment. "But this couldn't wait."

"It's no problem, Anne," Vince said. "After how you helped me, I owe you."

"Well, this particular problem isn't really about you, Vince," Anne said. "Although you and Sally might want to get the rest of LINDA over here straight away. I think you all should hear about this."

"Anne, what is this all about?" Sally asked. "You're starting to freak me out."

"Well, you should be freaked out, considering what I've just found out about Larry."

"Larry? Sally's former fiancé? Vince asked.

"Yes, him."

"Anne, Larry is dead," Sally replied sadly. "A drunk driver ran him down. I don't see how you could..."

"That's just it, Sally!" Anne exclaimed. "Larry is still alive."

You could have heard a pin drop in the astonished silence that followed...

 **VINCE HAWKINS AND SALLY SPARROW WILL RETURN!**


End file.
